Negative HCV-RNA 2 weeks after initiation of treatment predicts sustained virological response to pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the early viral kinetics as predictor for sustained virological response (SVR) during hepatitis C treatment.

Materials And Methods: We included patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C and ALT above the upper limit of normal, who received a standard treatment of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. The HCV-RNA concentration (limit of detection 20 IU/mL) was determined at days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 21 and monthly thereafter.

Liver biopsy performance and histological findings among patients with chronic viral hepatitis: a Danish database study.

We investigated the variance of liver biopsy frequency and histological findings among patients with chronic viral hepatitis attending 10 medical centres in Denmark. Patients who tested positive for HBsAg or HCV- RNA were retrieved from a national clinical database (DANHEP) and demographic data, laboratory analyses and liver biopsy results were collected. A total of 1586 patients were identified of whom 69.

[Primary cytomegalovirus infection and thrombophlebitis/pulmonary embolism].

A young woman was admitted to hospital with suspected pyelonephritis. Due to prolonged fever, further investigations were done and showed a thrombosis in her femoral vein; X-ray and lung scintigraphy revealed a pulmonary embolism. Blood tests showed lymphocytosis, and a primary cytamegalovirus (CMV) infection was confirmed by serology and PCR.

Environmental factors in inflammatory bowel disease: a co-twin control study of a Swedish-Danish twin population.

Background: Genetics and environmental factors are implicated in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We studied environmental factors in a population-based Swedish-Danish twin cohort using the co-twin control method.

Subjects And Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 317 twin pairs regarding markers of exposures in the following areas: infections/colonization and diet as well as smoking, appendectomy, and oral contraceptives.

Disease concordance, zygosity, and NOD2/CARD15 status: follow-up of a population-based cohort of Danish twins with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objectives: A Danish cohort of twins with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), has previously been collected. The aim of the present study was to reassess this cohort in order to compare clinical characteristics in concordant versus discordant twin pairs, test twin zygosity genetically, follow-up on disease concordance, and examine NOD2/CARD15 genetic status.

Methods: The Danish cohort is one of two population-based cohorts worldwide and consists of 103 twin pairs.